Joseph d



(No Model.;

J. D. BRYAN. CAR GOUPLING.

UNITED STATES EATENT Tricia.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 601,1 19, dated March 22, 1898. Application filed May 7, 1897. Serial No. 635,522. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH 1). BRYAN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Valle Cruces, in the county of Watauga and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Car-Coupling, of which the following is a speciiication.

The invention relates to improvements in car-couplings. j

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of car-couplings and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one capable of coupling automatically and adapted to be readily uncoupled without going between cars.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car-coupling constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig, 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view illustrating the position of the parts when coupled. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, the locking-lever being shown in engagement with the jawsin full lines and out of engagement in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the locking-lever. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating the construction of the connection between the locking-lever and the rock-shaft. taken longitudinally'of the draw-head and illustrating the construction of the rock-shaft.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

1 designates a draw-head having a flaring mouth 2,- adapted to direct a coupling-link 3 into engagement with a pair of longitudinally-disposed jaws 4, pivoted Aat the rear ends o f their shanks by transverse pins which pass through the back of the drawhead. The draw-head is provided in rear of the throat 5. with flanges 6, which form a guide for the lower jaw 4, and the latter, which terminates short of the throat, is arranged between the lianges 6 and is beveled at the upper face of its head. 'I he upperlongitudinally-disposed jaw 4 extends beyond the lower jaw and is curved upward slightly Fig. 6 is a detail sectional .view

and is guided in the throat 5. The jaws are forced together by upper and lower spiral springs 7, interposed between the Shanks of the jaws and the top and bottom of the drawhead, and the curved extension of the upper jaw forms a flaring mouth and enables the coupling-link in entering the draw-head to spread them readily.

The coupling-link 3, Vwhich is provided at its ends With substantially arrowshaped heads 9 to interlock with the jaws 4, is composed of Vtwo bars or sections provided at their inner ends with sockets-10, receiving a connecting link or plate 1l, and the latter is slotted and is secured in the sockets 10 by bolts or pins 12. The slotted connecting link or plate 11 permits the necessary longitudinal play of the parts land enables cars to be successively started.

The jaws are spread to release the couplinglink and effect the operation of uncoupling by a transverse rock-shaft 13, journaled in suitable bearings and provided with oppositely-disposed arms 14, arranged between the shanks of the jaws and having curved engaging faces. The Shanks of the jaws diverge inwardly, and the arms 14, which are arranged between them, are disposed longitudinally of the draw-head when the parts are coupled, and by rotating the rock-shaft the arms 14 are swung towardY an upright position and force the jaws apart against the action of the springs 7.

When the jaws are in engagement with the coupling-link, they are locked against accidental separation by a lever 15, consisting of a substantially U -shaped body portion, a rectangular yoke 16, carried by the front of the locking-lever, and an arm 17, arranged substantially at right angles to the rear portion of the same. The U-shaped body portion of the locking-lever is fulcrumed on the drawhead and operates in a slot 18 and an opening 19, and the yoke is adapted to engage the upper and lower faces of the jaws. The arm 17, which is curved, extends transversely of the jaws when the parts are uncoupled, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings, and it is adapted to be engaged by a link entering the draw-head, whereby the locking-lever will be carried into engagement with the jaws.

IOO

The locking-lever is connected by a linkrod 2O with an arm 2l oi' a sleeve 22, which forms a section of a rock-shaft I3 and which carries an exteriorly-arran ged operating-arm 23. The sleeve ortubular section of the rockshaft is provided with a slot El, receiving a pin of the main section, which carries the arms Il, and by this construction the outer tubular section has a limited movement independent of the main section, whereby when the operating-arm is oscillated the lockinglever will be thrown out of engagement with the jaws before the latter are separated by the arms Il. The draw-head, which may be constructed in any suitable manner, is provided with a stop 2G, arranged to limit the inward swing ot' the operating-arm 23, and any suitable mea-ns may be provided for enabling the latter to be oseillated from the sides or top of the car or the platform of a coach.

It will be seen that the car-coupling is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is positive, reliable, and automatic in operation, and that it obviates the necessity of going between cars either in coupling or uncoupling.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing` from the spirit or sacrifieing` any of the advantages of this invention.

lVhat I claim is- I. In a ear-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a pair of jaws mounted therein, a substantially U shaped locking-lever fulcrumed at its bend on the drawhead and provided at one arm with a yoke to receive the jaws when the parts are coupled, and provided at its other arm with a curved portion I7 disposed at an angle to the adjacent portion of the lever and arranged between the jaws in the path of the link when the yoke is out of engagement with the jaws, whereby when a link enters the draw-head the locking-lever will be operated, and means for spreading the jaws and for operating the locking-lever to carry the yoke out of engagement with them, substantially as described.

2. In a oar-coupling, the combination of a d raw-head, spring-actuated jaws mounted in the draw-head and adapted to engage a link, a rock-shaft composed of two sections having a limited movement independent of each other, arms Il interposed between the jaws, adapted to spread the same and mounted on one of the sections of the rock-shaft, an arm 2l carried by the other section, a locking-lever fulcrnmed on the draw-head and arranged to engage the jaws, and a link-rod connecting the locking-lever with the arm 2l, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head having a flaring mouth and provided in the rear of the throat with vertical flanges forming a guide, upper and lower longitudinally -disposed jaws mounted in the draw-head, the lower jaw being guided by the said flanges and the upper jaw bei ng extended beyond the lower one and having its extremity curved and arranged in the throat of the draw-head, means for spreading the jaws, and a locking-lever connected with such means and arranged to engage the jaws, substantially as described.

4i. The combination with two draw-heads each provided with a pair of jaws, of a link composed oit two similar bars provided at their outer ends with arrow-heads 9 dctachablyinterlocking with the jaws of the d raw-heads, said bars being provided at Jtheir inner ends with longitudinal sockets l0 having couplingpin perforations, a slotted plate or link ll, iitting in said sockets, and coupling-pins arranged in the coupling-pin perforations and engaging the slotted plate or link, whereby the said bars have a limited longitudinal play, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH D. BRYAN.

Vitnesses:

E. S. COFFEY, A. J. CRITCHER. 

